7 Copycat Recipes for Your Favorite Fast Food Guilty Pleasures

There’s no doubt that we’re living in strange times. The recent health pandemic has flipped our lives upside-down and we’re all learning how to live a “new normal” with all sorts of fun new vocabulary terms like “new normal”. And while we’re all staying home and limiting our social interactions, some of us might be choosing to do all of our cooking at home. Sure, you could Pinterest slow-cooker keto recipes all day, but sometimes you just want some of that fast-food goodness. Brace yourself—what if we told you you could cook some of your favorite fast-food guilty pleasures at home? You can! And the recipes are easier than you think.

1. Copycat Burger King French Toast Sticks

When you want to eat French Toast with your fingers, Burger King has you covered. Their French Toast sticks are crispy, greasy, and perfectly soft and chewy on the inside. When you make them at home, you can eliminate the fatty oils for slightly less of a ‘gut-bomb’ for breakfast. Big Oven has the full recipe and they only take a few minutes to make.

2. Copycat Chick-Fil-A’s Fried Chicken Sandwich

Whether you're craving that crispy, crunchy chicken sammy but don't want to leave your house, or it simply just happens to be a Sunday, you can make this yummy copycat sandwich at home. The Daily Meal shares the full recipe and they even use the authentic dill pickle brine. You’re welcome.

3. Copycat Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme

We don’t know how Taco Bell does it. They figured out their own signature flavor and no other chain or restaurant on earth tastes like it. One of their most crave-able signature items is their Crunchwrap Supreme. Basically, take every single Taco Bell ingredient you can think of, layer it on a hard tostada shell, then wrap it all up in a giant soft flour tortilla and enjoy. Bless This Food figured out how to make this creation at home and the flavors are surprisingly spot-on. Here’s how to make it.

4. Copycat Panda Express Orange Chicken

Panda Express has been a mall food court staple for years. You can get wafts of their tasty food from the parking lot and it’s undeniably delicious. Their Orange Chicken is a cult favorite and it’s surprisingly simple to recreate at home. Using some basic pantry items that you probably already have in your cupboards, you’ll be in Orange Chicken heaven in under 30 minutes. Find the full recipe and instructions at The Daily Meal.

5. Copycat Jack in the Box Tacos

The crispy, magical wonders of the fast-food world—Jack in the Box tacos. They’re fried, filled with meat, cheese, and lettuce. So simple and they’re so cheap at just 99 cents! The problem is? They’re not exactly the healthiest (surprise!). The mystery meat and grease might be tasty, but it’s probably not the best to consume them on the reg. Make a healthier (but still yummy!) version at home. I Wash...You Dry created their own Jack in the Box taco knock-off recipe and you can find it here.

6. Copycat Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

Krispy Kreme is another one of those chains that makes something uniquely their own—their melt-in-your-mouth doughnuts. They seem to be made of the lightest pastry dough ever with the perfect amount of glazed frosting. You could literally eat a dozen of them and still seem to have room for more. Well, you can eat as many Krispy Kreme knock-off doughnuts as you could possibly dream of, by making this recipe in your kitchen at home.

7. Copycat Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl

No need to wait in the assembly line of burritos while trying to maintain social distancing at Chipotle when you can make your favorite item at home—the Chicken Burrito Bowl. Chipotle uses the same ingredients you could pick up at the grocery store, and for the same price, you’ll have dinner for three or four nights instead of one. The Spruce Eats shares the recipe and they nailed the chicken marinade.

Written by Ashley Brewer for Knockaround.